Defense Minister Barak has announced that if the cabinet does not adopt his proposed changes to the amended Citizenship Law on Sunday, he will vote against the new loyalty oath.
"I intend to stand firm on the change I proposed in the amendment to the CItizenship Law, and if it is not accepted I will vote against [the amendment]," said Barak.
RELATED:Loyalty oath to 'Jewish state' set to be approvedLieberman: Zoabi is the reason we need a loyalty oathBarak, unlike most of the other Labor MKs, has expressed support for the proposed oath of loyalty to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic" state but has asked that the language of the oath be altered to include the phrase "in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence."
Barak cancelled a Labor party ministerial meeting earlier on Sunday for supposed "scheduling conflicts."
Fellow ministers Isaac Herzog and Avishai Braverman were expected to voice
strong opposition to the new, amended law at the meeting and demand that Barak vote against the amendment.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is set to bring the cabinet on Sunday the
wording of a new pledge of allegiance to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic
state” that naturalized citizens not making aliya under the Law of Return will
be asked to make.
The new declaration is expected to pass by a wide
margin. Only the five Labor ministers, and the Likud’s Dan Meridor and Bennie
Begin – out of the 30-minister cabinet – are expected to vote against the new
pledge.
The ministers will be asked to vote on an amendment to the
Citizenship and Entry Law whereby the declaration naturalized citizens must make
will read: “I declare that I will be a loyal citizen to the State of Israel as a
Jewish and democratic state, and I obligate myself to respecting its
laws.”